Fortune telling ball



1958 E. R. WICKHAM 2,846,227

FORTUNE TELLING BALL Filed Jan. 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7'0 WURSELF rmamass LEO '1 7 v EZZemeri/eR.Wickham 7.27.. 53.. I

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 5, 1958 'E. RJWICKHAM 2,346,227

FORTUNE TELLING BALL Filed Jan. 23, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /3 /5 Elle me1* ie 314 21076510 m INVENTOR I BY l I 4 ATTORNEYS United States PatentFORTUNE TELLING BALL Application January 23, 1957, Serial No. 635,839 1Claim. Cl. 273-161) This invention relates to amusement devices, theprimary object of the invention being to provide an amusement devicedesigned primarily for telling or indicating fortunes, the deviceincluding an outer stationary opaque spherical member having a sightopening formed in the wall thereof extending from the top to the bottomof the outer member, and an inner transparent spherical member viewedthrough the sight opening of the outer member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotatable transparentspherical member on which indicia representing groups of cards, areformed, the groups of cards being visible through the sight opening ofthe outer mem ber.

A still further object of the invention is to provide printed matter onthe outer surface of the outer stationary opaque member and arrangedadjacent to the sight opening, indicating the meaning of the cards ofeach group, as the groups of cards move to positions opposite the sightopening.

A further object of the invention is to provide a transparent innerspherical member illuminated by an electric lamp mounted within theinner member, the light rays from the lamp being projected through thewall of the tansparent inner member and illuminating the indiciathereon.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in theappended claim.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an amusement device constructed inaccordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the inner transparent spherical member.

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the spring pressed stop for stoppingrotation of the inner spherical member at predetermined points.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail the device comprises a baseindicated generally by the reference character 5, the base being in theform of a pedestal with a central opening in which an electric lampsocket 6 is held, the lamp socket supporting an electric lamp 7.

The lamp socket 6 is formed with an annular shoulder 8 that provides arest for the collar 9 formed with an outwardly and upwardly inclinedannular flange 10 which in turn provides a support for the innertransparent spherical member 11.

The spherical member 11 is formed with an opening that fits down overthe upper portion of the lamp socket 6 as better shown by Fig. 2 of thedrawings, the inner spherical member 11 being rotatable on said annularflange 10.

A spring pressed ball 12 is mounted in the tubular housing 13 fitted inan opening in the flange 10. The transparent inner spherical member 11is formed with justed ball 12 will enter one of the depressions andcause the inner spherical member to cease rotation. With thisconstruction, it is obvious that when the inner spherical member ceasesrotation, groups of indicia representing playing cards, will appearopposite to the sight opening and may be read by the person spinning theinner spherical member.

The inner spherical member 11 is mounted within the opaque outerspherical member 15 which is provided with an opening, the portions ofthe spherical member 15 adjacent to the opening being extendeddownwardly at 16 providing an annular flange that fits within theopening of the base, as shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings and holds theouter spherical member in position.

The outer spherical member is formed with an opening at the top thereofthrough which an extension 17 extends, the extension 17 supporting aball 18 at its upper end, which ball affords a hand grip for rotatingthe inner spherical member within the outer spherical member.

An opening indicated by the reference character 19 extends from top tobottom of the outer spherical member 15, the opening being indicated bythe reference character 19. This opening provides a circular sightopening whereby the indicia 20 which may be of any desired type, butwhich in the present showing are representatives of the conventionalplaying cards, may be viewed.

As shown by Fig. 1 of the drawings, the groups of indicia representingplaying cards fall opposite to certain indicia indicating steps in therules of playing the game or operating the amusement device.

When operating the device a person spins the inner spherical member byrotating the ball or knob 18, and as the inner spherical member 11 losesits momentum, the ball will move into one of the depressions which fallsdirectly opposite to the ball 12, causing the inner spheri cal member tocease rotation. It will of course be understood that the coiled spring20a mounted within the tubular housing 13 will be sufficient to overcomethe movement of the inner spherical member at a certain point to causethe groups of indicia on one section of the inner spherical member, tobe lined with the sight opening of the outer spherical member so thatthey may be read and the fortune of the person spinning the innerspherical member, determined.

It might be further stated that the base 5 is provided with a pluralityof circular sight openings that are arranged in a circle around thebase. Under each of these openings are indicia indicating the sign ofthe zodiac that is directly under the three cornered guide or indicator21. Thus it will be seen that when the inner spherical member stopsspinning, the card indicia showing in the sight opening will indicatethe fortune of the person spinning the inner spherical member.

The guide or indicator 21 is formed at the base or lower portion of theouter opaque spherical member 15, so that when the outer opaquespherical member is ador rotated slightly to bring the guide orindicator 21 over a certain circle, as by means of the handle 22, thebase may be adjusted to a position directly over the sign of the zodiacwhich is within the range of the months of the year that agrees with thedate of birth period of the person using the device for a fortunereading.

When using the device for a fortune reading, the outer paq e sphericalmember is rotated as described, to cau e Patented Aug. 5, 1958' andspaced predetermined distances.

2,846,227 7 p i r the indicator 21 to lie directly above the selectedsign of the zodiac. The knob 18 is now rotated to cause the transparentinner spherical .member to spin within the outer opaque sphericalmember. When the force of rotation caused by the spinning of the innerspherical member has been overcome or spent, the inner spherical memberwill stop to. bring a certain group or groups of indicia representingcards, before the sight'opening which will indicate the fortune reading.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed An amusement devicecomprising a base, an outer opaque spherical member mounted for rotationon said base, said opaque spherical member having an. ovoid sightopening formed in the wall. thereof, an inner transparent spinningspherical member mounted for rotation within said outer sphericalmember, said inner member having groups of indicia in the form ofplaying cards arranged on the outer surface thereof visible through saidsight opening, mechanism for illuminating indicia on said transparentinner member, and spring biased ball means for retarding spinningmovement of said inner member '4 within the outer member, said innermember including depressions engageable by said ball means wherebycertain groups of card indicia are displayed before said sight opening,and means comprising an operating handle for effecting rotation of saidouter spherical member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS387,957 Moreon Aug. 14, 1888 1,600,966 Adair Sept. 28, 1926 1,637,010Rees July 26, 1927 1,718,898 Fagan June 25, 1929 2,120,439 Jamison June14, 1938 7,134,461 Fusco Oct. 25, 1938 2,381,933 Sloper Aug. 14, 19452,444,810 Creasy July 6, 1948 2,690,621 Dean Oct. 5, 1954 FOREIGNPATENTS 413,862 Great Britain July 26, 1934 812,983 France Feb. 15, 1937

